The better half of me
by ZoeWade
Summary: "Okay Malfoy, I agree to help you on one condition ... teach me to play Quidditch."


The ray of sunlight forced me to close my eyes, it was like burning my brain. The verdict was inevitable, I had a hangover, in the first day school…oh and I forgot to precise, I was prefect, nice performance, wasn't it?

Migrant like a larva across the dorm, I saw girls still sleeping. Estelle Blanchard and Maria Izuki were sleeping in the arms of each other in Arielle Longbottom's bed, who was lying on the ground, belly looks like a whale and Dominique was snoring in a perfect imitation of an old lawn mower. Too bad that Lily wasn't there, she would take that sublime picture which would double the Hogwart journal selling and force Dominique into exile somewhere in the equatorial forest.

No time to go to the prefects' bathroom, I decided to prepare on the spot. Contemplating my reflection in the mirror above the sink, I got the fleeting wish to return in bed and shove my head under my pillow until tomorrow. My indomitable tuft of hair, of the reddest red that has ever covered a Weasley Skull, gave me seem to have the head on fire, my skin was as white and sad as usual, dotted with freckles, a lot of freckles and finally, my eyes were red and swollen like paper mache, I looked like a pygmy puff who nabbed a Spattergroit.

A loud snoring arose from the room. This truffle of Dominica, what a brilliant idea to improvise an illegal fiesta to ten in the evening before the first day of class.

Let's have a little background!

"No later than midnight, I promise!" She shamefully lied to me. As the perfect dumb that I'm, I believed her. But my credulity has its limits and when I saw some Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff entering the common room, I think that I started to panic.

"Relax, only some friends"

How was I supposed to relax when Dominique was friend with near the three quarters of the school?

"Oh, don't worry, we'll ask the fat lady to change the password tomorrow."

Yeah, don't worry Rosie, it's not as if we've violated the settlement almost twenty times in one hour. But you know what, even if it's not in my habits, I'll stay calm, breath and do as if I was deaf, blind and especially silent, and you know why? Because at midnight, everybody will be in bed with a smile, and me with a terrible headache. Unfortunately for me, headache was a fate far more desirable than what would follow.

"The Slytherin are making a crazy party, Vince Tudes brought a case of Firewhisky!"

Oh, truly happy for them and like Maria would say, _Tamaya_!

"So we thought that we just cannot let it go." said Fred with a mysterious and so scary grin. My nightmare took place when I saw, some cases of butterbeers, all kinds of cakes and sweets from the kitchens of Hogwarts, as well as...

"A SOUND SYSTEM!"

What the hell was wrong with their brains?! It looks like Bludgers shocks can cause acute cerebral damages.

"We'll show them how we have fun in Gryffindor, ARE YOU WITH ME?"

"YEEEEES!"

Something like the piercing cries of a thousand pigs pierced my eardrums.

Fred and James were like this, in a constant and assiduous research of various ways to infringe, violate or profane the settlement and by extension, making Rusard have an infarct and me, premature aging and high chances of ulcers. Add to the fact that they were good looking, fast-talking relatively smart and outrageously self-confident, they were the perfect killing machine...actually, it was a bite worrying!

Now they were all as excited as bloodsuckers before a bloody feast, someone would be kind enough to explain to me how I was supposed to restore order in this mess, for a second I had a fleeting thought for Filch. To top it off, my male counterpart did not seem concerned by the situation, this coward had literally disappeared. Oh yes I forgot, Muggle equipment was not supposed to work in Hogwarts, which meant that my kind of double idiot and greedy little brother was persuaded to put his talents to contribute to a handful of noises, grandpa Arthur would have done better teach him to play chess!

So let's do the recap:

It's almost midnight, there are some other houses students out of their dorms by night, came for a prohibited party organized by my cousins, who stolen food, brought alcohol and Muggle material tempered by my fourth year and future ex-little brother.

It might be just me but this entire masquerade just smells like the dangerous mixture of a Molotov cocktail.

"Dominique, we have to stop that, it's going too far!"

"What?!" she screamed like she didn't believe her ears, a bottle of butterbeer half empty in the hand. "We just started, if you're worried about noise, James will launch a _Muffliato."_

Oh believe me, if noise was the problem, at this time we would be thinking about it at McGonagall's office. If I was worried, it's because actually I'm looking at some fourth years drinking butterbeers like pumpkin juice_._

"I assure you Honey, you bothered for nothing." tried to reassure me the girl who was hardly standing on her feet, well it was really…inspiring confidence.

"So Honey, you're having fun?"

Oh, saint Merlin, just tell me I didn't hear that voice! And what's the case with everybody calling me Honey, do I like the poster of a candy advertisement?

I advice you not to answer.

"James, which dishonest wind lost you around here?" I asked with my most unpleasant voice.

"Dear Rosie, it seems like holidays made you even more adorable." He smirked, bringing his face too close to mine while the color of my face approaches that of my hair. Obviously, I panicked and I leapt three meters off, like a frightened pussycat.

"What can I expect when I had to endure your presence the whole time?" I respond with my most convincing innocent-bitchy smile, I hope it was a good diversion for my heartbeat disorders.

"If you continue this way, no man would ever dates you."

Oh god, I…I think that I've ears problems today, it must be that because it's just impossible that he said what I think he said.

"If it's to fall on badgers like some seventeen years boy with ridiculous curls and cognitive impairement, the loneliness seems a lot quite acceptable!"

His smile slightly crumpled, but don't be sad James, if you still don't win the Quidditch Cup this year, the _perfect asshole with the emotional capacities of a Gillyweed_ award would certainly console you.

Sorry for the dramatic tone but it's actually a bit awkward to be said such charming things by the unique guy on who you have ever had a romantic interest since you were six, and yes, if it wasn't enough clear, I got a crush on James, my big jerk of cousin with who I'm fighting since near ten minutes.

"Sorry to interrupt this fascinating exchange" interfered Dominique who didn't seem neither sorry, nor fascinated.

"The topic was the party ... and Rosie wants to cancel."

Ladies and gentlemen, warm applauses to my dear best friend who hesitates three seconds before denouncing me.

"Imagine things go wrong, McGonagall will declare Gryffindor officially disqualified from the four houses cup in the first September's night, it would be a record in the genre."

She also could feel nostalgic about old punishments and send us have a tea-time with some freaky trolls in the dungeons.

"Listen, McGonagall won't do anything because everything will be all right, the situation is under control." Assured me James with an abnormal solemn face.

Well, I might believe him, I really deeply wanted to believe him but he said _under control_! It was the assurance of a total loss of control, he just signed our certificates of death, he should have stopped at _everything will be all right_, why didn't he stopped at _everything will be all right_!?

"Trust me."

You see that, hun? It's exactly what I was talking about. He though that his irresistible smile, his irresistible gaze, and his irresistible whole being permit him to use his unfair weapon with impunity. Hell, he pronounced the magic words! For me this was the equivalent of _open sesame_, because it stupidly reminds me of a distant past, when I was a dumb not aware about the fact that I could kick ass of anyone with my too-big-for-a-girl feet. I felt my chicks literally burning so I looked down, nobody can imagine how much I hated being like some sort of Walt Disney princess, too clumsy and passive for their own good.

"I'm warning you!" I started with a menacing finger near his right eye. "No outbreak of furniture, no dungbombs, no screaming rockets, nobody suspended in the air, in alcoholic coma or naked, no bodyshots and not a single fight…and obviously, everyone in bed at midnight, clear or do you have questions?"

I tried to look the most impressive possible, it usually works, but it was James and even McGonagall doesn't impress him. He gave me one of his corner smiles which startled his dimples, took my hands into his and kissed them before rushing towards Fred.

I stood there, paralyzed for several minutes, as if I had a plate of three meters in a freezing lake. Yes I agreed, which is totally stupid and irresponsible, someone hang me!

When I go back to my senses, I noticed Dominique watching me with a smirk as if to say "that was too easy." How do I not rather thought, it was she who so perniciously and on a typically Dominique way sent James to me!

"You really are a bitch" I said, taking the butterbeer she hands me, I drink three long sips without catching my breath, if I get drunk fast enough, I may not attend the disaster.

"But that's why you love me."

And the worst part is that she was right.

I went back to my checkpoint to monitor this band of freaks when I feel a hand holding my arm.

"Oh no, no way you're going back in your corner with your dirty book and your moldy parchments, for once you'll behave like any normally constituted girl, drink up in vomit, laugh, say idiot things and forget that you're the smartest girl in school."

I don't know why but I followed Dominique, maybe the convincing Veela charm operated, perhaps it was too hot and I needed to quench my thirst or maybe I just wanted to see what it was like to let go. The fact is that I followed, one thing leading to another, I resumed my mind on Malcolm Murphy's knees, a fourth year spotty and a bit perverse fingering my butt emphatically, I hit him before heading to the dorm, walking zigzag, I threw myself on my bed and fell asleep immediately.

Here we are this morning.

"Arielle, hey, Arielle, wake up!"

I shook her shoulder and miraculously she reacted.

"Hmm ... it's already over?" She whispered in a husky voice, but she didn't seem to have headache, at least she didn't have a hangover.

I asked her to wake up Estelle and Maria while I worked the monster.

As I expected, she was not very cooperative

"Please Dominique, do an effort!" I begged her by throwing a glance at the clock, it indicated half past eight. The other girls had woken up somehow, was cleaned up, dressed and eventually were taking breakfast in the Great Hall.

My stomach gurgled painfully at the thought of bacon, eggs, hot toasts and fresh pumpkin juice that I will certainly miss. Dominique remained dizzy, not a single coherent sentence crossed her lips since her awakening and she was unable to take a step without bumping against everything and anything.

"Hurry up, in the shower!" I ordered her, much less tender and understanding now I realized that I've missed breakfast, just like my father when I was hungry I showed the kindness of a grumpy old crab.

"Hum ...not so loud, my head will explode" she muttered, rubbing her skull.

"Teach you to booze like a palomino."

"Rosie ..."

" ... Holidays are over and we are sixth year now, I won't ask you to be serious, it would be blasphemy but you could at least avoid…"

"Rosie ..."

"What!?"

As pal as the Bloody Baron, Dominique suddenly fall head and, judging by the horrible noise of regurgitation I heard, vomiting on my shoes.

Fine guys, it was nearly funny but enough now, where's the hidden camera? This year just seemed like a big prank, started with an odorant mixture of dragon tartar generously seasoned with butterbeer.

THE question now was, how was it supposed to end?

* * *

**Foremost thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it and I want to apologize for any mistake you've found, English isn't my mother tongue but it's not a reason, don't hesitate to point out faults that bothers you.**

**See you soon.  
Amira**


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